"I still love you" - Kanye West reacts to UFC owner Ari Emanuel urging industry leaders to boycott the rapper in a cryptic post
Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel has urged other industry leaders and businesses to cut ties with US rapper Kanye West following his recent controversial remarks.
West, known to millions around the world for his music, has been at the heart of media controversy this week following an anti-Semitic post on social media. The shocking nature of the message prompted immediate action from Twitter and Instagram as both platforms suspended him from his accounts.
Ari Emmanuel, whose Endeavor company is the owner of the UFC, has asked for Apple Music and Spotify to stop streaming the rapper's music and called for action from businesses. In a Financial Times piece, Emanuel wrote:
“Those who continue to do business with West are giving his misguided hate an audience... There should be no tolerance anywhere for West’s anti-Semitism.”
The 45-year-old took to Instagram to respond to Ari Emmanuel:
"ARI EMMANUEL. I LOST 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN ONE DAY AND I'M STILL ALIVE. THIS IS LOVE SPEECH. I STILL LOVE YOU. GOD STILL LOVES YOU. THE MONEY IS NOT WHO I AM. THE PEOPLE IS WHO I AM."
Fashion brands Balenciaga and Adidas announced this week that they are ending their working relationship with Kanye West. The termination of both contracts is expected to cost the US rapper in excess of $2 billion in revenue
When UFC fighter Israel Adesanya explained the difference between himself and Kanye West
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya knew that becoming a UFC titleholder would mean a place in the public eye. Despite appearing to live life outloud on social media, 'The Last Stylebender' has remained quiet in regards to his personal life.
The New Zealander recently appeared on The Diary of a CEO podcast to explain his reasoning. According to Adesanya, keeping his family life and relationships private means they don't become part of the social media storm.
The middleweight champ explained that while it may be suitable for people like Kanye West, it's not for him:
"I think diving into my personal life a little bit, anything that has to do with like family, relationships, I like to keep those things guarded. And I think people kind of get, my love life's not for sale, my family's not for sale. Those kind of things, like I said, I won't sell for the consumption of people to watch."
Adesanya added:
"I'm not the Kardashians, I ain't Kanye West putting all my business out there. I keep those things guarded so I think people kind of respect that. I understand that they don't push too much."
Catch the podcast episode here: